Visit the basement where Gary Gygax came up with Dungeons & Dragons

Like so many stereotypically nerdy endeavors, Dungeons & Dragons began in a basement. Specifically, if began in the Lake Geneva, WI basement of Gary Gygax, who together with Dave Arneson developed the tabletop role-playing game that would go on to spark the imaginations of fantasy enthusiasts and Satanic cult-fearing Christians alike.

2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the game’s original publication. In honor of the event, journalist Ethan Gilsdorf wrote a short piece about Gygax’s early role-play gaming days, which mostly consisted of getting together with his buddies in his basement and using miniature figurines to reenact World War II battles or the campaigns of Alexander The Great. The post also features a video tour of the house where Gygax lived with his family while developing the game. The video was shot by Jon Peterson, a D&D enthusiast and one of a select few invited to play some D&D in Gygax’s former home during a local gaming convention, GaryCon, this past March. For those who grew up on D&D, the video may provide a look into where the magic all began. Those who don’t care may sympathize with the current owners of the house, who aren’t seen in the video but are probably somewhere upstairs, waiting for the nerds to leave.